Haunted Past, Blessed Future
by smush68
Summary: When an Injured In the Line of Duty Homeland Security K-9 agent temporarily joins the team, sparks fly, especially with Tony DiNozzo. April Hanson and her k-9 partner struggle to fit in with the team. When a case from her recent past comes back to haunt her,will her new team have her six? Rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

_**HAUNTED PAST, BLESSED FUTURE**_

_**A/N- **_**I know, I know, you're all ready to Gibbs-Slap me for starting another story when I've already got 7 or 8 that need finishing. Blame this one on our own LIFELESS APRIL, a fellow TABBY fanatic, who pushed me to write a story about her and Tony. She keeps me in TABBY videos on You Tube (they're AMAZING, go watch! - by Rikkuness) so I think it only fair I do something for her. Hope this is everything you want it to be, April! **

**Although I've always wanted to be a K-9 officer, for this story I've taken total artistic license about the job. Mastiffs - the dog April has as her partner in this story - are NOT used for the jobs described. Their snouts just aren't built for scenting. They are generally guard/security dogs. While huge, they are really gentle giants, using their size as a deterrent. Where a German Shepherd would attack a home intruder, the mastiff is more likely to wait silently, surprise the intruder, and hold them gently in a bite hold until the home owner arrives home and brings the police. Would **_**you**_** want to piss off a dog that large by trying to get away? I've probably taken license with other breeds, too, to suit the story, not to mention the agencies and jobs mentioned. I don't work for them, I know nothing about them, the versions herein are all my own creation. I apologize to those agencies for any inaccuracies - they're all my own, and have no reflection on the real people and jobs.**

**And now…..ON WITH THE SHOW!**

**CHAPTER ONE**

April Hanson sat at her desk, tucked away in the corner of their little section of the bullpen, reading through a cold case file. She'd been assigned to Gibbs' team three weeks ago, but they had yet to accept her into their team family. Not that she was looking to be a part of it. She had Roo, that was all the family she needed.

Feeling the gaze of more than one member of her team on her, she resisted the urge to sit up and stare back. She was here to do a job, that's what she was going to do. More importantly, she was here to finish up her recovery before she went back to her position with Homeland Security. April knew that this NCIS team had a problem with someone from an outside agency sitting in their realm.

Ok, yes, she admitted there were still some communications problems between all the Alphabet Agencies, but whatever happened to working for the common good?

Frustrated, April shut the file she was reading and slammed it on top of the pile of others to her right. At her feet, Roo shifted and put a paw and his head on his handler's foot. A comforting gesture, letting April know she wasn't alone here, there was someone who cared.

Roo, named for President Theodore Roosevelt, is April's K-9 partner at Home Sec., a 5 year old mastiff, cross-trained in several different areas - Suspect Apprehension, drug sniffing, search and rescue, and incendiary sniffing - if there was a trace of explosive material on something, Roo would find it. His most recent skill was self-taught - anxiety attack detection. If April was about to have an attack, Roo could sense it and would alert, giving April time to get somewhere safe - and private - to panic. Roo would nudge her throughout the attack, to keep her breathing. When the de-escalation occurred, the dog was April's grounding, letting her hug and cry on his shoulder until the attack had passed.

April's return to Home Sec. really depended on her psych eval more so than her physical recovery. She felt she was getting better - the attacks were becoming less frequent. Of course, she had yet to go back into the field. Agent Gibbs hadn't allowed it yet.

"Getting a little 'dog tired' there, Hanson?"

April didn't have the energy to turn and glare at Agent DiNozzo, but Roo raised his head and growled softly.

Tony DiNozzo knew the dog wouldn't come after him - it was too well-trained for that - but he backed down anyway. Heckling was no fun when the 'hecklee' didn't respond. And this Agent Hanson never responded. What was her problem? Meeting McGee's and Ziva's glances, Tony shrugged. Someone else's turn to see if they could rattle the new guy.

From up above it all, Director Leon Vance watched. He'd been asked - privately - by the Director of Homeland Security to keep an eye on Hanson during her recovery. After reading her personnel file, he could understand why. In the two years she'd been partnered with her K-9 partner, the duo had made drug busts totaling in the millions of dollars, literally sniffed out a sleeper cell, not to mention all the successful search and rescue missions.

Leon didn't impress easily, but Hanson and her partner impressed him. So much so that he was thinking of a way to lure them to NCIS for good. But it certainly wouldn't be on Gibbs' team. He'd put Hanson with them to keep her skills sharp, but she had yet to get out in the field. To place her with another team at this stage of the game would be detrimental. To the other teams, it would be seen as a demotion, that she couldn't hack it on Team Gibbs and she wouldn't be taken seriously. But to leave her where she was wasn't helping anyone. "Hanson. My office."

April shut her eyes in embarrassment. This was like being called to the principal's office. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She looked at Roo, who gave no signal of an impending anxiety attack. She took a deep breath and stood, walking to the stairs followed closely by her partner. She hoped no one could see her wobbly legs.

"Whaddya' think that's about?" wondered Tony out loud.

"She is probably going to turtle on you to Vance, how you constantly harass her."

"Tattle, Ziva. Tattle. And you haven't exactly been BFF's with her yourself, you know."

"Well, it is not easy to make friends with someone who does not appear to _want_ friends."

Tony turned to McGee. "What about you, McWelcome Wagon? How come you haven't given her your 'welcome to the neighborhood' speech?"

Ziva was interested in McGee's answer, also. If anyone was going to befriend a new person, it was going to be him. "Yes, McGee. Why are you not mentoring her, as you usually do with new people?"

Tim shrugged, not wanting to talk about it. "Just don't have anything to talk about with her, that's all."

Tony was skeptical. "Nothing in common? You have nothing in common with _anybody_, McGeek. What makes Hanson so special?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, Tony."

Ziva was thinking. "You may not have careers in common, but you both have dogs. Why have you not bonded with her over that?"

"There ya' go!" Tony gestured to Ziva enthusiastically. "You could discuss grooming tips, share kibble coupons, debate pooper-scoopers…"

Annoyed, Tim glared at Tony. "She just reminds me of a time in my life I'd like to forget, ok? Leave it alone, Tony." As soon as the words left his mouth, Tim knew Tony would never be able to forget about it, and he sighed.

"Ooooo, something you'd rather forget, huh? First date? Senior prom? The day Bill Gates and Steve Jobs broke up?" Tony teased with a smile.

Tim closed his eyes and prayed for Tony to drop it. "_No_, Tony. It's not important, ok? Just drop it. Please?"

This was too good for Tony to pass up. "I beg to differ! It _must_ be important if our own 'helping- grannies-across-the-street McBoy Scout' won't make friends!" He walked over to McGee's desk and laid a hand on Tim's shoulder. "C'mon, McNice, tell us why our Officer Friendly isn't feeling so friendly…." he said with a fake sympathetic pout.

Ziva got up and came to Tim's desk, also. "Yes, I admit I am intrigued by what could make _you_ so impassioned as to not want to even be _polite_ to someone, McGee." At least Ziva looked honestly sincere in her request.

Tim heaved a great sigh, knowing he'd never get any work done until he'd satisfied his friends' curiosities. "Remember when I got attacked by Jethro the dog? Before he was Jethro, I mean…"

Tony laughed. "Who could forget? You jumped like a little girl every time a dog barked, for weeks!"

Rolling his eyes, Tim typed something into his computer, then put it up on the plasma screen behind his desk. "Thanks for caring that I was almost killed by a dog, Tony."

"Hey, if it _really_ scared you, you never would've let Abby make you take said dog in, let alone keep it." Tony looked at the screen, recognizing a hospital report. "What's this?"

"Her ex-husband's hospital records." Tim brought up the page he wanted. "Agent Hanson got into an altercation with her ex in her office at the Homeland Security kennels. At some point during the fight, she released a few trained attack dogs, and gave the order for them to attack her ex. Then she just stood by and watched them bring the man down. If another agent hadn't shown up to help, Agent Barrows would probably have been mauled to death by Hanson's dogs." Even Tony was grossed out by the photos attached to the report. "I just can't shoot the breeze with someone who would be so inhuman as to not only _order_ the bite, but would stand there and watch it go on and on. Not when I remember what this feels like."

_**+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++NCIS+++**_

April and Roo made their way up to Vance's office. He ushered them in, and went to sit behind his desk. "Have a seat," he offered politely. April sank into the nearest chair and Roo took his place lying at her feet. She sat back in the chair, crossed her legs, but her body was stiff. Being called in front of the Head Honcho was never good news.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Leon looked over his new agent. She appeared to be physically healed, but he wasn't sure about mentally or emotionally. "How's it going, Agent Hanson?"

"Fine, sir," she answered casually, controlling her breathing.

"You're getting along with your team?" Vance raised an eyebrow, wondering how she'd answer, if she'd tell the truth.

"Yes, sir," April answered. Seeing Vance raise his eyebrow knowingly, she elaborated, "well, as well as a newbie can."

"Uh huh." The Director turned his chair sideways and fiddled with a pen. "And Agent Gibbs?"

April sighed. "He….takes some getting used to," she hedged.

Vance smirked. "I've been working with Gibbs for almost five years, and I'm _still_ trying to get used to him."

April smiled uncomfortably, not sure how to respond to that.

"I haven't seen any case reports with your name on them, Hanson. Any reason you're not writing them?"

Gulp. "Uh….well….." At that moment, Cynthia buzzed from her office. Saved by the buzzer!

"Send him in," Vance said into the phone. The office door whipped open and in stormed Gibbs.

"You wanted to see me, Leon?" The supervisory agent did a double take when he saw April sitting there, then rolled his eyes with a grimace, like he couldn't be bothered.

"Agent Hanson was just going to explain why she hasn't handed in any case reports." Leon leaned forward, eyes on Gibbs. "Knowing the tight ship you run, I must say I'm surprised you haven't brought this to my attention before now, Agent Gibbs." Vance had Gibbs' number, and he knew it.

"No case reports because she hasn't had a case," Gibbs answered matter-of-factly. Vance raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Really? Well then, I am _doubly_ surprised you haven't brought this to me sooner. You're not exactly known for putting up with slackers on your team." He looked between the two of them, seeing how uncomfortable with each other there were. "Tell me, Agent Hanson, what have you and your partner been doing these past three weeks?"

April looked nervously up at Gibbs, expecting him to have some story ready to go. But he just looked pissed off. Looking at the Director, she saw he was watching her expectantly. "Ummm…c-cold cases, sir."

The Director picked up another file. "Oh, that's right, cold cases." He flipped through the contents. "Just three cold cases?"

Looking anxiously at Gibbs again, April cleared her throat. "Umm, those are just the ones that, uh…" When she paused to clear her throat again, Vance finished the sentence for her.

"Those are just the ones you've _closed_," he stated, glaring at Gibbs.

April gulped again and tugged on her collar. "Uhh, y-yes." She could feel the anger radiating off Gibbs. Oh, this was _so _not good. Never good to piss off your immediate supervisor.

Vance spent a few minutes reading over her cold case reports. "The Menkin case. Been cold for fifteen years." Glancing up, he saw Gibbs flinch. This had been one of the supervisory agent's first cases as an NIS probie. "You closed it?"

"Yes, sir," April mumbled.

"In six days," Vance said.

April shrugged. "Called a few contacts at Home Sec, got some fresh intel, accessed some sealed files…" Seeing the look on Vance's face, she clarified, "all through legal channels. My clearance…."

"Is higher than mine," the Director said, only slightly joking.

Gibbs' temper was beginning to boil. This agent - and he used the term loosely - may have been dumped on him, but he didn't have to like it. His team were not a bunch of babysitters. "So she uses who she knows to get ahead," he said sarcastically. "Why am I here, Leon?" Gibbs and the Director stared each other down.

"Agent Hanson, you can go," Vance said, never taking his eyes off Gibbs'. "We'll finish our discussion later."

Standing, April looked between the two men, knowing this was not going to end well for somebody. Most likely _her_. A nudge from Roo gave her a start. That was his signal to get somewhere private and safe. "Y-yes, Director." She walked quickly to the door and left. She walked down to the bullpen on wobbly legs, a more insistent nudge from her dog alerting her to her own rapid breathing. She needed privacy, and fast. She refused to give these people any more ammunition against her. Without a glance at any of the team, April all but ran for the elevator and jumped in when it arrived, closely followed by her trusted four-legged friend.

The young agents of Team Gibbs looked at each other, questions in each of their minds, but nobody voiced them. It's not like she's part of the team, after all.

_**NCIS~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~NCIS**_

Neither man moved as the door closed quietly behind Hanson. They stared at each other a few seconds more before Director Vance spoke. "What is your problem, Gibbs? You've got a more than capable agent on your team, and you won't put her in the game."

Gibbs squinted back at the Director. "She's _not_ part of my team, Leon. I didn't _ask _for her, I didn't want her, but you foisted her off on us anyway. Since when is NCIS babysitting for Homeland Security, anyway?"

Vance stood behind his desk, still glaring at his best agent. "Since the babies are kicking more ass than the babysitters." He watched Gibbs roll his eyes, and grew angrier. "Before joining Homeland Security, she was a lieutenant in homicide with the South Boston PD, not to mention being a SWAT commander, and head of that PD's K-9 unit." He tossed a thick file across his desk toward the other man. "You can roll your eyes all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that for every medal, award, and commendation you've got DiNozzo hiding away for you, Hanson and her partner have _three_. They're that good, Gibbs. Isn't one of those infamous rules of yours about not wasting good?"

Gibbs groaned to himself. "C'mon, Leon…"

Leaning over his desk, Vance nailed Gibbs with a glare all his own. " 'C'mon' nothing, Gibbs. I think I've been pretty accommodating to you and your team. You're one of our best, you know that. There's not a team here that can match your closure rate. Except for Hanson and her partner. That's why I assigned them to you while Hanson recovers, to bring her skills back up where they were without her running herself into the ground."

Gibbs clenched and unclenched his fists. "So what are you saying, Leon?"

Vance sat, still staring at Gibbs. "I'm _saying_….you put Hanson and her partner in the field. Starting _now_. They work cases just like the rest of your team. You _treat_ her like a real member of your team. She's not the pink elephant in the room. She's a more-than capable federal agent, and will be treated as such. And I can say this with all honesty, Gibbs….she and that dog of hers could easily replace all three junior members of your team without causing a drop in your closure rate. Hell, she could replace _you_, too."

Giving the Director his best squinty glare, Gibbs asked, "that a threat, 'Director'?"

"Not as long as you put Hanson in the field, ASAP."

Gibbs grabbed up the fat file on Agent Hanson with a growl. "Anything else, _Leon_?"

The Director smirked. "Not at the moment. Read that," he gestured to the file, "and then you tell me."

Without a word, Gibbs turned and stormed out of Vance's office, slamming the door behind him. Cynthia, seated at her desk just outside the door, didn't even flinch, being so used to that kind of exit from Agent Gibbs.

Stomping down the stairs to his desk, Gibbs kicked his chair away from his desk and sat down angrily, throwing the folder on Hanson off to the side of his desk.

The three younger agents shared a worried look. Seeing the vote was two to one, Tony spoke up. "Problem, boss?" He grimaced at the look the older agent threw his way.

"Ya' think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face. "Where are we on the case?"

The elevator dinged as the team filled Gibbs in on the details they'd uncovered while he'd been up with the Director. A worn out looking April walked in carrying two fancy designer bottles of water, her behemoth of a dog trailing her. She felt all their eyes on her as she walked past them all to her desk.

"We, uh….we were just about to go pick the CO up for questioning," said Tony, watching April while reaching to pick up his gear.

"Hanson can do it," Gibbs said sarcastically.

Ziva and Tony froze midway to standing with their gear. "Huh?" Tony's eyebrows rose.

Gibbs looked over at Hanson, eyes glaring. "You heard me. Hanson's in the field, she can go pick up the CO."

Tony and Ziva shared a nervous and incredulous look. They were really giving the new guy stuff to do? "But….boss, the guy…"

"You heard me, DiNozzo. _Hanson_!" he yelled, just as her butt hit the chair. "Go pick up the CO, bring him in for questioning. You've got thirty minutes." When April just stared at him, hand on her fancy waters, he yelled again, "Go!"

April snagged her gear bag, stood, and attached her gun and badge to her belt. She grabbed Roo's leash and motioned for him to follow her. The dog glanced longingly at his water dish. "C'mon, ya' big lug. There'll be a treat to go with it when we come back." At the promise of a treat, the dog lumbered happily behind April, who snatched the paper with the address out of DiNozzo's fingers as she strode past him. With a 'ding' from the elevator, Agent April Hanson was on her way to her first official assignment at NCIS.

**~~~K-9~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~K-9~~~NCIS~~~K-9~~~K-9~~~**

**A/N- Well April, my young friend, here was the first chapter of the story about YOU. I hope you're happy with it. And thanks for letting me adapt a story idea I already had about a K-9 agent into YOUR story. Much appreciated! ENJOY!**

**A/N 2- Time for some shameless begging for reviews! Please, please, please, please, PLEASE REVIEW! I know I have **_**no business**_** starting another story when I have so many others just dying for another chapter, but to be honest, I've been in a writer's funk for a while now. Couldn't think of a blessed thing for **_**any **_**of my stories. So I'm hoping that something new will light the fires under my other stories again. So, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Please?**

**A/N 3 - THANK YOU!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**HAUNTED PAST, BLESSED FUTURE**_

_**A/N-**_**Here be the next installment of a story honoring my Bestie in Tabby-ship, LifelessApril. Hope this makes you smile, finally able to hear your OWN voice for a character instead of someone else's! Please go read her other stories - LOVE 'em!**

**And now, let's join…**

**CHAPTER 2**

Gibbs had been keeping an eye on the clock while Hanson was out. If he was going to be forced to use her, she'd damned well follow his instructions to the letter. Thirty-seven minutes. He figured he was being generous, giving her ten extra minutes for traffic. Two more minutes now, and he could write her up.

Just as he was pulling up an insubordination report form, the elevator dinged. "Uh…boss?" Looking up at his SFA, Gibbs looked where Tony nodded. Standing just outside the elevator doors was the CO Hanson had been sent to bring in, looking bedraggled and embarrassed.

"That's Officer Marston, the CO, boss."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Ya' think, DiNozzo?" He stood and motioned the man over, confused when the man almost fell over before he started toward the bullpen.

Ziva looked behind the man and around the floor. "But where is Agent Hanson?"

All the agents looked around from their desks, then gaped when the CO appeared in front of them, hands cuffed in front of him with a plastic zip tie. That wasn't what shocked them. They were shocked because there was a leather dog leash hooked to the zip tie. And holding the other end of the leash - in his mouth, not attached to his collar - was Hanson's dog. With a strong tug, the dog pulled the suspect over to Gibbs. With a K-9 flourish, Roo spit the leash out into Gibbs' lap. Then, with a stare first at Gibbs, and a glare with a curled up lip for the suspect, the dog sauntered over to Hanson's desk, pulled out the lower drawer of the desk with paw and teeth, dipped his head in and came out with exactly one large dog biscuit in his jaws. With a 'humph,' the dog settled on his dog bed to enjoy his treat.

Like everyone else in the bullpen, Gibbs was momentarily stunned. He stood and unhooked the leash from the zip tie. "McGee…."

Said agent jumped up. "Take Officer Marston to interrogation." McGee took the CO by the elbow and escorted him out of the bullpen.

"DiNozzo…."

"Find Agent Hanson, bring her back here ASAP. On it, boss." Tony stood, making his way to the elevator as he watched Gibbs walk to Hanson's desk and drop the leash on top.

_**K-9~~~~~NCIS~~~~~K-9~~~~~NCIS~~~~~K-9~~~~~NCIS~~~~~K-9~~~~~NCIS~~~~~K-9~~~~~NCIS~~~~~K-9~~~~~NCIS~~~~~K-9**_

Saving himself some time and running around, Tony went to the motor pool first. They would have been the first in the building to see Hanson arrive. He walked to the desk. "Hey Michaels," he greeted one of the regular mechanics. "You see Hanson come in?" He leaned on the desk casually.

The grease monkey checked a log on the computer. "Naw, wasn't me, Tony…..Brady checked her in. Hang on a sec, I'll get him up here for ya'. Hey Dave!" the mechanic yelled behind him. "Where's Brady?"

A mechanic yelled back, "Doin' laundry. Last car came in a little dirty. I'll send him up." A few minutes later, another mechanic came up, carrying an NCIS agent's jacket. "Agent left this in the car. Send it up to her, will ya', Michaels?"

"Sure, Brady. Hey, Agent DiNozzo needs to talk to you."

"Oh, hey Tony. Didn't see you there. Well then, here. You can take this up." He handed the jacket to Tony. "Hanson's with you guys, right?"

Taking the jacket, Tony noticed some blood on the sleeve. Great, their suspect was bleeding. "Yeah, thanks. What happened to the car?"

Brady shrugged matter-of-factly. "Just needed some cleaning. Blood on the seat."

Even better, Tony thought sarcastically. That damned dog had bitten their 'guest.' He pulled out his phone and called upstairs. "Yeah boss. Motor pool says there was blood on the seats. You might want to check Marston over." As he hung up, the mechanic interrupted.

"Oh it wasn't the guy in cuffs that was bleeding. It was Agent Hanson." As Tony's phone began to ring - Gibbs - the mechanic continued, "she said she was going to see Dr. Mallard. Yeah, there was blood all over the front seat, man," he said as Tony took off for the elevator.

"Yeah, boss. I know it wasn't the CO. On my way to Ducky's now."

Tony walked into Autopsy as Ducky was taping a wad of gauze bandage on Hanson's side. He stopped short. With Hanson's back to him, Tony cold see some healing cuts on her back and one particular healing bruise that looked suspiciously like a shoeprint on her shoulder blade. Jeez, who knew Homeland Security was that dangerous?

He startled back to the present when Hanson gingerly lowered her arm as Ducky doled out after-care instructions.

"Now, you know the drill, my dear. Keep them dry and covered. And should one let go, right back to me, and I'll fix it for you." Ducky handed her a pill bottle. "I don't know why I'm bothering, but that is going to start to throb when the anesthetic wears off. These will help with the pain, but won't hinder your thinking."

April smiled as she slid carefully off the exam table. "_This_," she gestured delicately to the wound on her side, "is a piece of cake. This, I can handle." She gathered her things, turned, and saw Tony. The smile left her face and she became all business again. "If you check the log in the motor pool, you'll see I was back in the allotted time, Agent DiNozzo." April turned back to the M.E. "Thanks, Doctor, for patching me up. Saved me a trip to the ER." She grabbed the bottle of pills and pushed her way past Tony, never making eye contact. "Thanks for the warning that Marston hates women," she snipped, hopping on the elevator.

Tony watched her go, his feelings conflicted. On the one hand, he's concerned that an agent was hurt out in the field. The man in him was concerned that a woman was injured. But the Team Gibbs part of him didn't _want_ to care that Hanson had been hurt. She wasn't even an NCIS agent, For God's sake. Why should he care?

"What happened?" he asked Ducky, trying not to appear too curious.

Ducky continued cleaning his equipment. He was quite up-to-date on Agent Hanson's medical background, but he'd promised her he wouldn't divulge anything to her team mates. "It would appear that Agent Hanson ended up on the wrong end of a knife, whilst apprehending a possible suspect."

"Yeah, saw that. How'd it happen?"

"I'm sure it will all be in her field report." Ducky chuckled lightly. "It should make for some interesting reading, from what I understand. I _so_ would have liked to have seen that K-9 partner of hers at work. You know that mastiffs, like Agent Hanson's, have been used as guardians in Britain for centuries. In fact, there's one that stands out…."

Tony rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Duck. You know I can't go back to Gibbs with nothing," he pleaded. "Give me _something._"

Ducky sighed. Yes, he knew well that Jethro was not an easy boss to please. Which is really one of the reasons Hanson ended up injured today. "While she is an NCIS agent, I am Agent Hanson's doctor, just as I am yours, Anthony, and therefore I shall not divulge her medical issues - _if any - _just as I would not divulge yours." He sighed again at the raised eyebrows from Tony. "It's quite obvious that Agent Hanson sustained a moderately deep, six-inch slash with a knife whilst in the process of apprehending a person of interest in your latest case. A CO with violent tendencies toward women in positions of power in his background. Thank God she had that _dog _with her for _back-up_." He hoped Tony got the emphasis on Hanson's back-up being a dog, not an agent of the human variety. "I know it wasn't _your_ call to send her out alone, Anthony. But I also know that you did _nothing_ to stop it." Tony was quiet as Ducky walked around putting things away, still talking.

"I don't know what you all have against Agent Hanson. She's an extremely capable agent. Intelligent, quite proficient with technology, high marks on the shooting range. Quite the diversified training." Ducky chuckled. "Well, she _has_ to be, working for Homeland Security. Their numbers are even smaller than ours." He stopped in front of Tony. "I know Jethro doesn't want to hear - or believe- it, but one Agent Hanson with dog…..could easily replace Timothy, Ziva, and yourself." The older man smiled slightly when Tony paled. "And possibly Jethro, too. But rest assured, that's not why she's here." He gave the younger man a sympathetic look. "Oh, Anthony. I know you are all wary of new people joining your little family. But she's only here to finish healing, to _ease_ back into the job after being on leave for so long." Looking up at Tony, Ducky grimaced and turned to walk away. "Believe me, Agent Hanson wants to be here even less than you all want her here."

That bit of information startled Tony. She didn't want to be here? Who _wouldn't_ want to be here? "Wait…she doesn't…._really_? What….how come….why doesn't she want to be here?" He was conflicted again - confused and affronted at the same time. The medical examiner continued about his business, pretending he hadn't heard Tony. "Ducky…? Why doesn't she want to be here?….Duck? Ducky?" Tony sighed and left autopsy. This was going to bother him now. He'd have to do some investigating…. Appears he'd ended up with Hanson on his mind, after all. He pushed the button in the elevator for the bullpen a little rougher than usual, hating the extra work he just made for himself.

_**NCIS#####K-9#####NCIS#####K-9#####NCIS#####K-9#####NCIS#####K-9#####NCIS#####K-9#####NCIS#####K-9#####NCIS#####K-9#####NCIS**_

_**A/N - **_**Dear April, I'm sorry it's a shorty, but you gave me a nice boost (**_**not to mention a story about me! Go read it, ya'll!) **_**and made me feel good, so I wanted to give **_**you**_** a little something back. Thanks for being so sweet!**

_**A/N 2-**_**Please, please, please, please REVIEW! C'mon, just click that little blue button…..it will make my smile even brighter, I promise! Thanks, friends! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**HAUNTED PAST, BLESSED FUTURE**_

_**A/N- **_**Sorry it took so long for an update, but I've got so many stories in my head, that sometimes I forget what I'm working on! April, I'm sorry this is a short one - believe it or not, the characters are being rather silent, which is a first for me. Usually, they don't shut up, and I've got nothing for them to do. But I'm hoping your character being sarcastic to Gibbs is enough to keep you going for a bit! LOL**

_**ENJOY!**_

_**CHAPTER 3**_

Gibbs stormed out of Interrogation 1, and McGee met him outside Observation.

"Maybe he's really got nothing to tell us, boss," the junior agent said pathetically, not really believing what he'd said himself.

"Naw, he's got something to tell us. We just need something to get him talking."

_**NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS**_

April strode to her desk in the almost empty bullpen, not even acknowledging Ziva. As she hastily packed up her stuff, she made a phone call. "Is he in, Cynthia? …. May I speak to him, please? …. Director, I assume you've heard from Dr. Mallard…..that's my plan, just wanted to let you know I was leaving for the day…." She grimaced. "I _am_ telling my supervisor….." April sighed and sat at her computer, then groaned. "_Fine_, I'll tell him in person…..oh _yay_," she replied sarcastically, and hung up. She picked up her gear and motioned for Roo to follow, which he obediently did.

April stopped by Ziva's desk. "Interrogation that way?" she asked tensely, pointing down the hall. When Ziva answered in the affirmative, April walked confidently off in that direction, leaving Ziva to wonder what all that had been about.

Rounding the corner, April almost bumped into McGee and Gibbs talking in the hallway. "Oh. Good. I talked to Vance already, but he said I had to tell _you _that I was leaving for the day."

Gibbs glared. "Leaving?" What the hell…._he_ said when a member of his team could leave, they certainly didn't tell him!

April rolled her eyes. "If you've got a problem with it, take it up with Dr. Mallard. It was _his_ idea, not mine. I'm just being a good little Doo-Bee and following orders from my doctor," she retorted sarcastically.

Gibbs was about to read her the riot act when his cell phone rang. DiNozzo. He held up his forefinger at April. "Don't move," he ordered, turning away to answer the phone as she rolled her eyes. Hearing what DiNozzo had to say, Gibbs straightened a little. Ok, yeah, he wasn't thrilled to have an extra agent on his team - especially _this_ agent - but that didn't mean he wanted any agent on his watch injured. And pretty significantly injured, at that. He hung up on Tony and took a deep breath before turning around. He felt bad about his behavior, but he wasn't going to eat crow. He sighed as he turned back to face his two junior agents., but wouldn't look Hanson in the eye. "Go home," he said, staring at his phone. "Have your report on my desk by end of the day tomorrow," he said quietly.

April snorted. Like she hadn't told him just that already. "CO Marston in there?" she asked, pointing to the closed Interrogation door.

McGee looked at Gibbs, who was uncharacteristically quiet, then answered, "uh, yeah. Only he's not saying much."

Smirking, April stepped toward the door. "Oh _really_?" McGee thought she looked positively evil with that twinkle in her eye. "Let's see if I can change that." She opened the door, and motioned for Gibbs to enter first. "Agent Gibbs?" she said politely, ushering him. Then she followed, asking her K-9 partner to fall in behind her, which he did. "Hello, Marston," she chirped almost cheerfully, enjoying the smirk on the suspect's face. "Heard you're not feeling very co-operative. What's the matter," she sympathized sarcastically. "Cat got your tongue? Or should I say…._dog_?" With a flick of her hand, Roo appeared from behind her and just stood there, waiting for his next command.

Marston began to panic. "Hey! He can't be in here! Isn't it illegal or something? That dog tried to _kill_ me!" The CO's eyes were wide with fright.

April stepped closer to the table. "Oh, " she replied innocently, "the way _you_ tried to kill _me_?" She pulled up the side of her shirt enough to show the bandage covering her stitches, which was dotted with blood. "Believe me," she growled, "if this dog tried to kill you, you wouldn't be sitting here. You'd be in the morgue on an autopsy slab." April sent Roo right up next to where CO Marston sat. "Roosevelt, intimideren*" she ordered in Dutch. Roo calmly walked over next to the CO's chair and stood, just staring the man in the eye. "Oooooo," April pretended to quiver. "He's really killing you!" she said in a quivering voice, then became serious once again. "Talk, Marston."

Marston was still staring down at the dog, afraid that at any moment, it would attack. "G-got nothing…nothing to tell…." His breathing was shallow and rapid. "C-c-call him o-o-off," he whispered.

April pretended to think. "Hmmmm….ya' know, I can never remember that command. Maybe if you _talk_," she leaned over the man in the chair, "I might remember it." She shook her head when the CO stubbornly still refused to say anything. "Roosevelt, raken,*" she commanded in Dutch, and the giant animal gently set a huge paw on the trembling man's knee.

Five minutes later, April walked out of Interrogation 1 with Roo, satisfied smirk on her face. Marston was spilling his guts in fine fashion. _And_, she'd gotten just a flicker of an uptilt of a corner of Gibbs' mouth. All in all, the op was a success. She started walking down the hallway, a little spring to her step, almost bumping into DiNozzo as he rushed around the corner. But even Dinozzo couldn't drag her down, not after an almost-smile from Special Agent Gibbs! "Oh, hey, if you're going to Interrogation, get a custodian first. There was a little…accident….during Gibbs' questioning." She smirked to herself and fairly bounced away, Roo trotting happily behind her, smile on his face.

'Was that dog smiling?' Tony asked himself as he continued down the hall to Interrogation. Wait…did she say…._accident_? Oh my God! The dog killed somebody! He ran to Interrogation 1 and flung open the door. "Boss!"

Gibbs turned angrily to the door. DiNozzo knew better than to interrupt while he was interrogating a suspect! "DiNozzo!" he growled.

Looking around the room, Tony was a little surprised to _not_ see blood splattered all over the walls, and bloody paw prints all across the floor. "Uh…." he had to think quick! "Uh, Hanson said you need a custodian?"

"Ya' think, DiNozzo?"

Tony finally got a whiff of a strong odor, and looked at Marston, then at the floor _under_ Marston. The big, bad CO had wet himself. "On it, boss." He quickly shut the door and ran off to find one of the maintenance crew.

_**NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS**_

It was nearing quitting time, and the agents in the bullpen were finishing up their case reports. Gibbs had gotten a lot to think about today. He'd been ordered to integrate the unwanted agent into the field. He'd done so and almost gotten her killed. She'd been cut, deep enough for stitches, and it was on _him_. His stubbornness had sent her into an apprehension without back-up. Such a rookie mistake - he'd fire any agent that did that. A head slap was the _least _he deserved. Then she'd come to his assistance, and gotten the stubborn CO to talk, all with just a glare from the dog. Scrubbing a hand across his face, he noticed his three agents all beginning to pack it in.

"Hey, McGee," he stood and walked to the junior agent's desk. "One thing before you go. Are there security cameras on that dock, where Hanson picked up Marston?"

McGee shot a quick look at Tony and Ziva, wondering why the boss would want that. "Uh…I don't know, but I can check." He typed for a moment. "There are three cameras, boss, all pointing in the general area of the…skirmish."

" 'Skirmish'?" Tony crinkled up his face. "Who says 'skirmish' anymore? Except for McGrandpa, here," he began to tease. Until a head slap stopped him mid-comment. "Thank you, boss."

Gibbs motioned for McGee to put the camera views up on the plasma. "Any way to get the footage from the time of the apprehension?"

Typing again, McGee looked into the possibility. "I can't access it from here, but I can have it sent in a jpeg file to my email…" at a glare from Gibbs, he stammered, "having it sent to my email, boss." A few minutes later, McGee announced that the footage had arrived.

"Put it up, McGee," Gibbs ordered softly.

With another questioning look to his partners, McGee opened the video file onto the big screen. He fast-forwarded until he saw Agent Hanson walking on the dock toward the door, her dog loping along next to her at ease. He slowed it to regular time. "Unfortunately, there's no sound. Sorry, boss."

Gibbs never took his eyes off the screen. "Don't need it, McGee." He watched as Hanson walked purposefully down the dock and tighten up when Marston walked out the door. They saw where she asked if he was Marston, saw the suspect smile affirmatively, then sneer when Hanson showed her badge. They didn't hear what Marston said, but from what they knew of him, they knew it was something derogatory. Hanson rested her hand lightly on her weapon, other hand reaching for her cuffs.

Marston let her get close, all the while spouting his filth against women, no doubt. And the agents were impressed that Hanson didn't seem fazed, just intent on doing her job. Even though Tony had an idea what was coming - he'd known it was dangerous to send a woman after Marston, that the man could be violent - it still shocked and worried him when the suspect drew a knife and held the tip to Hanson's throat. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Gibbs tense.

They watched Hanson hold her hand back, telling her dog to stay where he was, when he clearly saw the threat to his partner and wanted to neutralize it. But the dog stayed, as ordered. They watched as Hanson tried talking to Marston, placating him, agreeing with him, if that's what it took. Seeing the suspect wasn't going to drop his weapon, Hanson's arm quickly came up and grabbed the wrist holding the knife, trying to twist the instrument from Marston's hand. Then he was trying to keep that hand from actually stabbing her. And still, she held off her dog.

Hanson managed to get Marston in an arm lock, and it looked like she had him contained. But as she reached for her cuffs, Marston somehow spun and got out of the hold, knocked Hanson into the wall, then threw her to the ground, where the struggle for the knife continued, even as the heavier man sat on her. They saw her dog getting antsy and barking, but still holding back as commanded. Marston had the blade against Hanson's neck now, and she somehow managed to push that arm down and to the side. As she did, she looked at her dog and gave a command, and the dog came racing down the dock. In his haste to get up and away before the dog got to them, Marston jumped up, slashing Hanson's side as he did so. Then he ran.

Within seconds, the dog had caught up to him and jumped up, knocking the CO to the ground. The dog then stood there, front paws on the suspect's back, holding him down. The team watched as Hanson lay stunned for a moment, then try and stand, a hand holding her side. One hand braced on the wall, Hanson made her way toward where the dog had taken the suspect down. About half-way there, the agent fell to her knees, and the team could see the pain on her face. But she continued on, crawling on her hands and knees over to the suspect.

Hanson patted her dog, leaning on him for a minute, trying to catch her breath. They could see Marston calling out for help. With a hand signal from his partner, the dog sprang up and landed his front paws again on the man's back. That shut Marston up. Breathing hard, Hanson reached into her pocket and pulled out a ziptie. She labored to bring the suspect's hands behind his back, then twisted them up in the plastic cuffs, falling off to the side when she had finished.

The dog, while never leaving his position, kept a close eye on his partner. His large body quivered, ready at a moment's notice to do her bidding. Hanson rolled from her back to her stomach, then up onto her hands and knees, where she rested a bit, drawing deep breaths. With a last glance at his now captured prey, the dog walked to his partner, nuzzling in her neck. She patted him with a trembling hand, then dropped it down tiredly again. The team was amazed as the dog crouched and pushed his head and neck, and then up to his front shoulders, under Hanson's upper body. She grabbed onto his collar, and the dog stood up slowly. His positioning pushed Hanson up off the ground. She put her hand in between his front shoulder blades and pushed herself to a standing position, using the dog like a support column.

Hanson ruffled the dog's head and leant against the wall. Then gave a command to the dog, who took the ziptie in his mouth and began to pull, and slowly the suspect was dragged up to his knees. Hanson ordered the man up, and put a hand under his arm to help. They made their way slowly up the dock and out of view of the cameras.

McGee paused the video. The bullpen was silent. Gibbs stalked to his desk. "Go home," he ordered, grabbing his coat and walking out of the bullpen. Tony, Ziva, and McGee looked around at each other, back at the screen, back at each other. And one by one, they got their things and left for night.

_**NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS=====NCIS**_

_**A/N- Dutch used while Hanson was interrogating Marston with Roo (all taken from Google Translate, so don't blame me for anything! - Dutch is most often used in training K-9s for either military or police use, for a few reasons, one being, that's where the dogs are trained, in Holland. Two - you don't hear much Dutch spoken outside of Holland, so no one can counter-command the dog.)**_

_***intimideren-**_**intimidate**

_***raken-**_**touch**


	4. Chapter 4

_**HAUNTED PAST, BLESSED FUTURE**_

**CHAPTER 4**

_**Later That Evening…..**_

Pulling into the gravel drive of Hanson's house, Gibbs noticed that the drive continued on past the house for a ways, leading to what looked like a barn and what he guessed to be a kennel, judging by the wire-fenced runs in front of it.

He knew Hanson was home - her Jeep Commander was parked outside the brick-red saltbox-style house. He noted the plaque next to the door, stating the house had been built in 1850. Gibbs banged on the wooden barn door. His opinion of her went up just a bit, seeing that she appreciated the old over the new. Unless he missed his guess, this front door was about one hundred years old, and well-preserved. When there was no reply to his loud knock, he pounded again, checking the windows to the sides of the door. Lights were on in a couple of rooms, but he didn't see anyone, not even that behemoth she called a dog. After one more round of thuds to the door, Gibbs figured Hanson wasn't going to answer her door, not wanting to talk to him. Walking back to his car, he stopped and walked over to where the drive continued up back. No barking from the kennels. Either she didn't have any dogs at the moment, or no one was home. With one last scan of the property, he got back in the Charger and drove away.

_**The Next Day**_

_**NCIS **_

The mood in the bullpen was a little tense. It was zero-eleven-hundred, and Agent Hanson hadn't yet arrived at work, hadn't called in sick or late. The three younger agents tread carefully around their boss, knowing how he hated when one of his agents isn't where they're supposed to be or is unreachable.

"McGee!"

All three agents jumped when Gibbs yelled. "Just tried her phone again, boss. No answer. She mustn't have it on, because I haven't gotten anything from the trace." McGee, Ziva, and Tony shared worried looks, knowing Gibbs would take his frustration out on them.

Catching the plasma TV out of the corner of her eye, Ziva noticed breaking news. Turning, she watched for a moment. "Looks like they've finally found Senator Ricci's father." The team stood and gathered in front of the TV. Senator Ricci's father was elderly and had Alzheimer's. He'd disappeared from the senator's home a few days before, and the search had been in the news 24/7.

"Hope he's ok," said McGee compassionately.

"He wasn't," grumbled April, entering the bullpen and tossing her gear next to her desk with a 'thunk.' Roo, her K-9 partner, slunk to his dog bed in the corner and dropped with an exhausted, heavy sigh, and began snoring almost immediately.

Tony looked from the TV to Hanson. "What?"

"Emil Ricci," April said quietly, shrugging out of her jacket with a hiss of pain when the stitches in her side pulled. "He wasn't alright when he was found."

Ziva nudged Tony with her elbow and pointed to the TV. "Look," she pointed to the newscast. Everyone except Hanson watched the news footage. There was Hanson, coming out of the woods with three search dogs, one being her partner, and two yellow labs. The team turned as one and looked at April, who just dropped in her chair and picked up her phone without looking at the TV. Turning back to watch the news, they learned that sadly, the senator's father had died in the woods of dehydration and the elements. The footage of Hanson and the dogs replayed again, and Gibbs turned to look at her. That's why she wasn't home when he'd gone by her house the night before - she'd been on search-and-rescue duty. After being stabbed on the job here.

"Hanson," Gibbs murmured in her direction. When she didn't answer, he walked closer to her desk, only to hear her talking on the phone.

"Hey Leo, it's April. Just wanted to let you know I dropped Sasha and Alexander at the unit's kennels. Nan's going to water them and keep an eye on 'em 'til you can pick 'em up. Thanks for the loan - they did a great job. Just hope it ends better next time. Talk to you later…bye." Hanging up, she turned her head up to Gibbs, a questioning tilt to her eyebrows.

Gibbs' eyes roamed over his temporary agent, assessing her condition. She was beyond exhausted, he could see that. After a moment, he said quietly, "go home."

Four sets of eyebrows rose around the bullpen. Did Gibbs just tell Hanson she could go home? Tony, McGee, and Ziva were shocked. Boss had no love for the new guy, yet he was telling her to go home, like he cared about her? April just wondered what the old guy was up to. Probably looking for more ammunition against her to get her off the team. That's what _he_ thinks, she told herself determinedly.

"I'm fine, Gibbs." She yawned.

Gibbs smirked. "Go home, Hanson. Get some sleep, come in tomorrow."

April gritted her teeth to keep from yawning again. "I'm ok - I got some sleep on the way back."

"You don't sleep on a fifteen minute helo ride," the boss said matter-of-factly. "You need real sleep. Go."

Standing, April held her side. "What if I crash down on the couch in Dr. Mallard's office for a few hours instead," she bargained.

Noting a few scratches on her face and hands - from searching in the woods, no doubt - Gibbs relented with a tilt of his head. "But have Ducky check those for ya'," he pointed to her face and hands.

April rolled her eyes. "Fine." She picked up her gear and slung the pack over her shoulder. She whistled to her dog, then scooped to pick up his bed after he stood. "C'mon, Rough Rider.* Nap Time." The dog followed along by sheer force of will, practically sleepwalking.

The three younger agents watched the byplay between Gibbs and Hanson, astonished at what they saw. Gibbs was…._nice_….to Hanson. Not exactly characteristic for the boss. They waited until Gibbs had gone up the stairs to the Director's office. "What just happened?" Tony asked, confused.

"Gibbs was….nice," answered McGee, just as confused.

"Maybe we are on that TV show…what was it….oh yes, 'Candied Camera*,'" offered Ziva. McGee and Tony looked at her. "What?" she asked. Then the boys just looked at each other and decided they were too befuddled to correct her, so they turned and went back to their desks, as did Ziva.

It was turning out to be a very weird day.

_**HAUNTED=====HAUNTED=====HAUNTED=====HAUNTED=====HAUNTED=====HAUNTED=====HAUNTED=====HAUNTED=====HAUNTED**_

The distinct impression of being watched slowly woke April. Turning over to her back, she cracked her right eye open, only to find a super-sized face almost plastered against hers. Opening both eyes with a waking sigh, she said, "I know. Gimmee a few seconds to wake up, then I'll take you out." She leaned up and planted a kiss on that super-sized snout. Roo stoically returned the kiss, paying attention to the small cuts and scratches on her cheek. "Thanks, pal. Just what the doctor ordered." She stood and stretched, letting the kinks in her muscles work themselves out. With one final stretch and a yawn, she gestured to Roo. "Come on, buddy. There's a hydrant out there with your name on it."

They came upon Ducky as they passed through autopsy. "Well, my dear. I must say you look a sight better than you did when you came in. But are you sure you've rested enough? You still look a bit peaked."

April smiled. She genuinely liked the old doctor. "I'm good, thanks, Dr. Mallard. But as I'm sure you know, time and tide wait for no dog."

"Ah yes, hydrant break. Well, feel free to return and catch some more sleep when you're finished. My door is always open."

"Thanks, Doctor. I might take you up on that later." April waved and walked out the door just as Tony was walking in.

"Hey Duck…." Tony turned around and hopped on the elevator when Ducky shooed him after April. "So. You found the senator's dad, huh?"

April kept her eyes straight ahead. "Nope. That would have been Alexander. He's got a great nose."

"Bu-u-ut….you're in charge of the dog…right?" Tony asked, unsure.

Shrugging, April stepped out of the elevator at the lobby, Roo on her heels, Tony running to catch up. "I'm just there to use the radio when we find the vic. Dogs don't speak English." She gave the other agent a small half-smile. "Oh, and to handcuff suspects, if that's who we're looking for. Dogs are all thumbs - have trouble working the cuffs." She could see that Tony couldn't tell if she was being serious or not. He had that confused, raised eyebrow thing going on. "Kidding, DiNozzo. Kidding." She smirked.

Tony tried to look casual. "I knew that," he huffed, turning his back as Roo 'used the facilities.' It seemed the polite thing to do. He tagged along as April led the dog to a large, grassy lawn with few people. She opened her backpack and brought out a raggedy-looking stuffed doll, waggling it in front of the dog, who became like a big kid. Emphasis on 'big'! The dog barked excitedly and bounced up and down, as if begging his handler to hurry up and throw it already. He watched as April swung her arm back then let the doll fly. It was as good a throw as any pitcher he'd batted against in college baseball. "Heads!" she yelled, alerting the few humans to the lumbering blur. Tony figured she must have come here before to do this, because the people were calm, most watching the playful dog with smiles on their faces, moving out of the way if necessary. Tony couldn't help but chuckle at the dog's antics, tossing the raggedy doll in the air like he was playing catch with himself, running around like a kindergartener hyped up on caffeine and sugar. He had one moment of worry, when a young mother in a Navy uniform came through with her little boy, a toddler. He thought for sure that, even while not meaning to, Roo would hurt the child just due to his size alone.

Seeing Tony tense, April took pity on him. He couldn't help that he didn't know her dog very well. Or the mastiff breed. "It's ok," she murmured, not taking her eyes off the child or Roo. Roo was a big ol' marshmallow when it came to kids, and kids generally loved Roo, but sometimes his size scared them. And if not them, then their parents. So she kept an eye out, just in case either mother or child were frightened. Roo was about five feet away from the child, who didn't appear to be overly nervous, but maybe a little intimidated by the dog's size. Roo dropped his doll and stood stock-still, letting the boy get used to him a bit. Then he gently sat down, smiling at the boy, who smiled back. After a moment, Roo slid down onto his belly and tucked his tail and head, a submissive gesture. Then the dog slowly tummy-crawled over toward the boy, one paw at a time, giving the boy time to leave if he wanted. When he was finally about two feet away, Roo smoothly turned over onto his back, belly-up, smiling when the boy giggled. The child looked at his mother, asking her something, and the mother looked around. April waved at her to let her know she was with the dog.

"May we pet him?" the mother called.

April smiled happily and began walking toward them. "He'll be a pest all afternoon if you don't," she chuckled. The boy bent over and reached out to skritch Roo's chin, only to get a big, sweeping lick for his trouble. Coming up to the mother and son, April knelt next to the dog, holding out her hand to the boy. "Here, come on over. Roo _really_ loves his belly rubbed, " she said, demonstrating. Boy and mother laughed when the big dog wriggled in bliss. Braver now, knowing the dog was a big baby, the boy sat down next to him and stroked and scratched at the big doggy belly, giggling all the while. After a moment, mom got into the action, too. Mother and son laughed when Roo's kisses knocked mom's

uniform cap right off her head. With a glance at her watch, the mother deemed it time to go, and the boy slung his arms around the big dog's neck for a hug. Before they left, April gave the mother one of her cards, inviting them to visit Roo or any of her other dogs out at her kennel. With thanks and one last hug for Roo, the mother and toddler left the green.

Roo watched sadly as his new playmate left. Tony looked down at the dog, giving him a know-it-all grin. "You're just a big teddy bear. I know your secret now," he teased. Roo turned and growled at Tony, his 'big dog' growl. Tony's smile quickly disappeared and he took a step slightly behind April. "Least I don't play with a doll," he muttered to the dog, who made a lunge toward him, causing Tony to run away inside. If he had turned around, he would have seen the large dog with a giant grin on his face, as if he knew exactly what he'd done and was laughing about it.

April shook her head and looked down at Roo. "Did you have to scare him so bad?" she asked, laughing when Roo jumped up and put his two front paws on her shoulder. The dog towered over her by a good foot, if not more. "I _know_ they're not the guys back home, but this is what we got right now. We just have to put up with it a little while longer, ok?" A huge face-wash of a kiss was her answer. "Ok." She nudged him back to all fours and gave him a thump on the side. "Now go get your comfy, and let's go back to work."

People passing April and Roo smiled at the sight of the gigantic dog, trotting alongside his handler happily, with a doll hanging out of his mouth.

_**NCIS=====HAUNTED=====NCIS=====HAUNTED=====NCIS=====HAUNTED=====NCIS**_

_**A/N - **_**Sorry it was a short one, April. I hope I can get some drama going in the next chapter! And I hope you enjoyed your time with Tony! LOL**

_***Rough Rider - **_**Nickname for US President Teddy Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War.**

_*****__**Candied Camera - **_**A TV show from the 1970's called ****Candid Camera****, where a camera would be hidden and the host, Alan Funt, would have things like a mailbox or some other inanimate object talk to people to see their reactions. It's what passed for fun in the '70's!**

_**\**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N- **_**Things with stars after them will be translated or explained at the end of the chapter.**

_**HAUNTED PAST, BLESSED FUTURE**_

**CHAPTER 5**

Over the following weeks, Gibbs began including April and Roo in field assignments little by little. He usually partnered her with DiNozzo, since his SFA seemed to be the only one willing. Not to mention, Gibbs rather enjoyed watching as the dog continued to get the better of Tony.

At the moment, the team was on-scene at a hostage situation. A Marine on leave, Corporal Aaron Mullins, had severely beaten his wife, who was laying, unmoving and unconscious, on the floor. His four year old son, Jake, while also beaten, was in better shape than his mother. The boy sat on a chair near his mother, crying. The Marine was ranting and raving about his wife planning a divorce while he'd been deployed. She was _his _wife, and that was _his_ son, they belonged to _him_. Gibbs put on his best gunnery Sergeant voice and attempted to get the man to stand down and let his wife and son out to be treated.

This scene was bringing back some very bad memories for April, so she and Roo slipped away unnoticed. Or so she thought. Curious as to what she might be up to, Tony followed them at a distance.

April went around the back of the house, checking windows, visually clearing the rooms. When she got to the kitchen, which was directly off the room where the hostages were, she tried the back door quietly - relieved when it opened. That's when Tony made his presence known.

"Whatever you're thinking," he whispered in her ear, "it's a really bad idea."

Unhooking Roo's leash, April assured him, "I have no plans on entering the house." When Tony gave her a scoffing look, she said, "I'm just leveling the playing field a little, that's all." She held Roo's collar. "Roosevelt, kind, bewaken. Kind, bewaken. Gaan!*"

Tony watched in amazement as the huge dog moved quickly and silently through the kitchen, not even the click of toenails on the linoleum audible.

The little boy jerked when he saw the dog, but April caught his attention and told him with her finger over her lips to be quiet. She flashed her badge and pointed around her neck. Looking down, the boy saw the badge Roo wore, and he suddenly didn't seem so scared of the situation anymore. He let Roo walk in front of him and put an arm across the dog's shoulders, burying his face in the dog's neck.

Out front, Gibbs saw the dog slip into the room and got pissed. A quick look around told him that Hanson was, indeed, not there, and neither was DiNozzo. Reading the look on his face, Ziva walked several feet away and called Tony.

"What are you thinking?" Ziva growled in a whisper. "Gibbs is giving birth to a cow!"

Tony held the phone away from his ear, looking at it quizzically. 'Giving birth to a cow'?

"I think she means, 'having a cow,'" April whispered out of the corner of her mouth, never taking her eyes of the situation inside. Gibbs had been doing a good job keeping the guy occupied and talking, but April knew how quickly these types of situations could change. And it did. April tensed. "He's losing him," she muttered to Tony, changing her position in case she needed to jump up quickly and go in.

"No way, not Leroy Jethro Gibbs," Tony grumbled in a hush. "There's not a Marine he can't tame."

"Tell Cpl. Mullins that. He's starting to pace again. His focus is split between Gibbs and whatever set him off in the first place." April observed the scene, taking in possible escape routes, locating things Mullins could grab and use as a weapon.

Mullins suddenly turned and looked at his son. "What the…?"

Tony quickly dialed Gibbs. "You might want to think about going in, Boss," he reported tersely.

Yelling and flailing his arms, the irate corporal tried to scare the dog away, not realizing it was a trained animal. When Roo didn't bat an eyelash, Mullins yelled for his son to come to him.

Not wanting to go to his father, young Jake cowered into the dog. "You get over here, boy, or you know what will happen! You want to end up like your mother? Huh? Do ya'? Look at her! You wanna' end up like that?….. No? Then _get over here_, you little shit!"

Sadly, knowing his father would do what he said, the little boy stood up and took a step away from Roo. In response, the dog stood crosswise in front of the child so he couldn't go anywhere.

"You heard me, son! Get the hell over here!"

Crying, Jake tried to take another step, but Roo nudged him gently, knocking him softly back into the chair, never taking his eyes off the threat to the child.

When the corporal reached over the dog's head to grab his son, Roo calmly stretched his neck and placed his mouth over the Marine's forearm. He didn't bite down - those weren't his instructions. He just held the arm between his jaws. No one would touch this child while _he_ was on guard duty. Even as Mullins angrily shook and pulled his arm, Roo never used his teeth to bite.

Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee took advantage of the distraction and quietly entered the house, guns at the ready. Tony and April entered from the kitchen, only Tony with his gun drawn. April planned on removing the boy.

Realizing he was surrounded, Cpl. Mullins froze.

"Stand down, Marine," Gibbs ordered.

"I'm just protecting what's mine, sir," growled Mullins.

"There's no threat here, corporal."

As Mullins began to try and relax, taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly, McGee and Ziva carefully moved forward in anticipation of arresting him. With a glance at April, Tony moved in front of her, giving her cover to get the child.

April cautiously sidled behind Tony, holding out her hand toward the frightened, young boy. He was still too afraid of his father to move. "It's ok, sweetie. C'mon, it's ok." Jake took a few tentative steps in April's direction.

"Don't you move, Jake! You hear me?"

With an audible gasp, the boy froze, knowing what would happen if he disobeyed. April was _so_ through with this guy. Thinking just because he's bigger, everyone should bow down to him. Well, April Hanson was _done_ bowing down to _anyone_. "Roosevelt, vooruit."*

The team watched in amazement as the dog began walking forward, the corporal's arm still held carefully in his mouth. As he walked, his sheer size pushed Mullins backward, away from his terrified son. The Marine tried to fight it, but one hundred seventy-five lbs. of dog was too much pressure to win against.

When Mullins was a safe distance away, April went and took little Jake's hand and gently tugged him to the kitchen. At the doorway between the kitchen and living room, April turned and ordered, "Roosevelt, loslaten."* Smoothly, the dog dropped the arm he was holding and thrust his big, broad head into the irate corporal's gut. Not expecting it, the Marine was thrown off-balance and toppled to the floor with a surprised "oof!" Roo stood by, at the ready, while Ziva and McGee handcuffed Mullins, in case he tried anything. Seeing the Marine in cuffs, April called Roo over to her, and agent, dog, and little boy walked away from the house.

Sitting the boy on the first flat surface they came to, April pointed to her backpack and said to Roo, "Comfy!" The dog trotted happily to the pack and found his toy, his reward for doing a good job. "Roosevelt, Comfy, spelen met kind."* Roo walked to the little boy and dropped his raggedy doll in the child's lap, giving it a playful nudge when the boy just looked at it. "He wants you to throw it for him," April told the boy.

Unsure, Jake picked up the toy and tossed it a few feet away. Like a big kid, Roo ran after it and brought it back to the sad boy. With a smile and a nod from April, the boy did it again, sending it a little further. Within moments, the bruised and scared little boy was smiling and laughing. Everyone around couldn't help but smile along with him. It was a bittersweet moment - the innocent spirit of a child battered and bruised, restored by the selfless spirit of a dog. The significance was not lost on anyone.

April stopped the muscular firefighter/rescue EMTs from approaching Jake, and instead asked Ducky if _he_ would do the preliminary exam, thinking that the older gentleman's demeanor and stature might be less frightening to the traumatized child.

Ducky readily agreed. Walking up to the boy, April could see him begin to tense up. "Jake, this is my friend, Ducky. He's a doctor, and I'd like him to take a look at you, make sure you're not seriously hurt. If that's alright with you."

Ducky greeted the child quietly yet kindly. But Jake had no intention of letting anyone near him. That is, until Roo bounded over and tried to lick Ducky's face, his big, K-9 body wriggling in happiness.

Laughing, Ducky tried to escape. "Oh, hello, you gorgeous boy! Yes, yes, it's good to see you, too, my four-legged friend!"

Seeing the dog interacting with the kindly, older man, Jake began to soften. It was when Roo dropped to his back and waved his paws for Ducky to rub his belly that Jake decided the doctor could be trusted. To further bolster the boy's decision, April had Roo sit right next to him, where all Jake had to do was reach out and touch the dog.

As Ducky was finishing up his examination, Gibbs came over. "How we doin', Duck?"

Ruffling the boy's hair as he stood, Ducky motioned the agents a few feet away. "It appears that most of the young lad's injuries are luckily nothing more serious than some deep bruising, although I am concerned about his jaw. The location of the swelling and the way with which he is holding his head, I'm worried his jaw is, at the least, fractured." He turned to April. "I'm guessing that our little friend will be averse to going to the hospital. If you could work some of your magic and get him to agree to go…."

April rolled her eyes. "I'll do my best, doctor. But the only way Jake's going to agree to going _anywhere_ is if Roo goes along for the ride. What's Bethesda's policy? Most hospitals allow Roo in. He's law enforcement, and he's also Good Citizen certified, and is a certified therapy animal. His orange work vest is in my pack, if we need it."

Gibbs wrapped a hand around April's upper arm. "We need to have a talk first." He marched her a good deal aways from everything. "What the _hell_ did you think you were doing back there?" he growled. "If you're going to be on _my_ team…"

"I was doing _my job_," April hissed right back, not backing down from Gibbs' in-your-face-ness.

Stepping in closer to her, Gibbs gritted his teeth. "You do what _I_ tell you to do, when I tell you to do it! You don't go off and do your own thing…." A nudge on his belt buckle had him looking down into the serious face of April's K-9 partner.

April sighed. The last thing she needed was for Roo to unleash his version of whup-ass on her boss, as temporary as said boss might be. "He doesn't like it when someone puts their hands on me in an aggressive manner. His training. Roosevelt, ontspannen."* The large dog, sat - one paw pressing on one of Gibbs' feet - but still kept an eye on the man that had his human separated from the pack and cornered.

Gibbs tried to wiggle his toes, the heavy paw almost cutting off the circulation to them. "You follow _my_ orders! You do _not _go off on your own, and you certainly _do not_ take matters into your own hands! _You_ work for _me_, not the other way around!" The pressure on his foot increased. "We clear?" he glared icily at her.

April curled up her lip. "Crystal," she snarked.

With a last glare at her, Gibbs tugged his foot out from under the big paw and walked away briskly. "I can't _wait_ to get back to Home Sec," April muttered to her dog, who gave a rumbling growl in agreement.

_**K-9/NCIS\\\\\K-9/NCIS\\\\\K-9/NCIS\\\\\K-9/NCIS\\\\\K-9/NCIS\\\\\K-9/NCIS\\\\\K-9/NCIS\\\\\K-9/NCIS\\\\\K-9/NCIS\\\\\K-9**_

Riding in the back of the MCRT truck was bumpy, but April didn't mind. She got to sit with Roo, for one thing. And she didn't have to make conversation with anyone.

Usually.

Today, for some reason, Tony decided to hop in with her instead of riding back to NCIS in the car with Gibbs. Which wasn't good, because Roo had been alerting to a panic attack since they'd left the hospital. It was big enough that even April, herself, could feel it building. It was only twenty minutes back to HQ, she could do this, she told herself over and over.

Tony observed April and her dog with a keen eye. He now knew the dog well enough to know that something was up, but he didn't know what. "Heed today's warning, Probie-Wan K-9-obi. The Great White only took a nibble. Next time, you might actually get 'the Jaws.'"

April rolled her eyes and ignored him. She was trying to concentrate on breathing normally.

"Seriously, A. You overstepped today. I don't know how things are done at Home Sec., but around here, you follow the team captain's lead."

"Situation diffused, non-violently. Suspect in custody. Victims receiving treatment." April closed her eyes, praying the attack would hold off. _Why_ did Dinozzo have to ride back with them? "Sounds like a success all around, to me." And deep breath in…and hold…two, three, four….and slo-o-wly release…..

"Yeah, but The Big Kahuna* has his own way of achieving success. That's what makes _him_ the Kahuna and _us…._" Tony paused, trying to think what wanna-be kahunas were called. "Uh…._not_ Kahunas….."

…..And release….."If Gibbs is The Big Kahuna, does that make _you_ Moon Doggie?"* …And breathe in…..

Tony smiled. "Nah. I'm more the Frankie Avalon* character that solves everything with a song and dance number."*

April laughed. "Yeah, I can totally see that! Can I be Annette?"*

That earned her the sly DiNozzo grin and a wink. "Depends. Got enough room to Bingo on that Beach Blanket?"*

Opening one eye, April smirked at Tony. "I'm sure _this_ Moon Doggie, here," she pointed to Roo, "wouldn't mind sharing." Roo eyed Tony, and Tony eyed Roo. With a satisfied doggy smile, Roo placed his head on April's knee and gazed up at her adoringly.

Tony scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Rub it in, furball."

Only April read Roo's gesture for what it was - a preparation for the panic attack.

_**NCIS=====K-9=====NCIS=====K-9=====NCIS=====K-9=====NCIS=====K-9=====NCIS=====K-9=====NCIS=====K-9=====NCIS**_

As the team exited the MCRT truck back at NCIS, April took her time hopping out of the back, hoping everyone else would just go on up to the bullpen without her. As she reached up to slam the back door shut, she noticed her hands were starting to tremble. Combined with Roo's not-so-subtle nudging, April knew she needed to find a place to crash, fast. Seeing Tony waiting by the front of the truck, she pretended to be busy. "You go on ahead, I need to….um, need to drop some stuff off at…Human Resources," she rushed out. Just go the hell away, Tony, she wanted to yell, but didn't dare. She could tell he was already suspicious about something, she didn't want to give him more cause to want to follow her. With a quick wave, April and Roo hustled off in the opposite direction than the rest of the team.

_**K-9**********K-9**********K-9**********K-9**********K-9**********K-9**_

As she felt her breathing finally begin to regulate, April pushed herself up from where she lay on the floor. She and Roo had found an area still under reconstruction after the bombing, and luckily the workers had taken the day off so no one was around. The perfect place to have a breakdown. April wiped her eyes and hugged Roo tightly around the neck, whispering her thanks in his ear.

An object appeared at the corner of her eye. Looking up, she saw a bottle of water being held out to her. She didn't need to look further to know who it was. It could only be one person.

Gibbs.

When she hesitated, staring at the plastic bottle, Gibbs gently thrust it toward her again. April slowly reached out and took the bottle. Gibbs waited to speak until she'd opened it and had taken a sip or two.

"How long?"

His voice was soft but steely. April couldn't look him in the eye, afraid of what she'd see. "Since I got injured." She finally looked up at him, hoping he'd believe her. He didn't _look_ angry…."They've gotten better, not coming as often."

Gibbs studied her, assessing her condition. Other than looking exhausted, she appeared fine. If he hadn't seen it himself, he'd never know that she'd needed poking and prodding from her K-9 partner's broad nose to keep her breathing regularly throughout the episode. He stood from where he was crouched before her and walked toward the stairs. "First time it happens in the field, you're off the team," he informed her without looking back, climbing the stairs.

April never had time to tell him that it never happened out in the field, it was when it was over….and only after certain kinds of cases. She took a long swallow of water, savoring the coolness on her dry throat. She hugged Roo again with a sigh. "We just dodged a bullet, big guy. A really…big…bullet."

_**NCISK-9NCISK-9NCISK-9NCIS**_

_**A/N - Translations from Dutch (spoken to Roosevelt, the Dog):**_

_**Kind (pronounced 'kindt')- **_**child**

_**Bewaken (pronounced 'beVAken')-**_** guard, stand watch**

_**Gaan! (pronounced HA-n) - **_**Go!**

_**Vooruit (pronounced vfor-eet) - **_**(move) forward**

_**Loslaten (pronounced lowsh-latten) - **_**release, let go**

_**Spelen (pronounced 'shBAYlen') - **_**play**

_**Met kind (pronounced 'met kindt') - **_**with the child**

_**Ontspannen (pronounced 'oonts-pahn-en') - **_**relax**

****To anyone who speaks Dutch, I apologize if I've butchered your beautiful language - I took everything from Google Translate, including the pronunciations, which I wrote phonetically. It's all on Google if anything is wrong or misspelled! LOL But I tried my best!****

**NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCIS**

**The rest of the stars are all references to a movie genre from the late 1950's, early 1960's called Beach Party Movies. They all involved beaches, parties, singing, and dancing (all on the beach).**

*****_**Big Kahuna - **_**like the coolest of the cool, the leader.**

*****_**Moon Doggie - **_**second banana to the Kahuna.**

_***Frankie Avalon - **_**late '50's early 60's actor, one of the original Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeers, lead character in most beach movies - dreamboat to the teenage girls of the time.**

_***Annette - **_**Annette Funicello - also one of the original Mouseketeers with Frankie. She was the dream queen for the boys of the time, usually starred opposite Frankie in beach movies.**

_***Beach Blanket Bingo - **_**one of the more popular Beach Party Movies, singing and dancing on the beach.**

_**K-9/K-9/K-9/K-9/K-9/K-9/K-9/K-9/K-9/K-9/K-9**_

**TIME TO REVIEW! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! W!**


	6. Chapter 6

_**HAUNTED PAST, BLESSED FUTURE**_

**CHAPTER 6**

**A/N - Hi, lovely readers! I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated, but I've had this horrendous case of Writer's Block like you wouldn't believe! None of my stories talked to me AT ALL! That wasn't very nice of them, was it? But, I'm back now - I HOPE! - and here's hoping that some of my other stories take the hint and begin talking to me again!**

**April, you get to be the first chapter back - hope we don't disappoint!**

**Once again, words/things followed by a * will be translated/explained at the end of the chapter. If any translations are off - blame Google Translate, I took it all from there!**

_NCIS, Bullpen_

_Three weeks later_

Gibbs took his glasses off and dropped them on his desk, rubbing his eyes. He'd been so wrapped up in the background files of an undercover op they were about to begin, he hadn't realized how quiet it was in here. Looking at the desks around him, he saw that Ziva and Tony were still out questioning family and friends of their latest victim, a Navy PFC (Private, First Class) found behind a dumpster in a DC alley.

Turning his head, he saw McGee typing away, looking into their PFC's background and financial records. And over in the corner - his newest agent. 'Crap,' he wondered. When did he start thinking of Hanson as _his_ agent? In any case, Hanson was in her corner, phone tucked between ear and shoulder, fingers flying over the computer keyboard. Probably working on another cold case. He didn't know where she found the energy - or time - to look into cold cases while working with the team in the field and her search-and-rescue jobs. At her feet, her K-9 partner slept, tail thumping the floor occasionally as if re-living a fun moment in a dream. Gibbs smiled to himself, wondering if any of those happy moments were when the dog managed to intimidate Tony. Gibbs had to admit, he kinda' got a kick out of those moments, too.

Thinking back over the last few weeks, Gibbs had to admit that having Hanson on the team had come in handy quite a few times. When Ziva and Tony had lost a suspect after a foot chase, it was Hanson and her dog that had tracked him to a rather disgusting-smelling port-a-potty behind a construction site. Gibbs chuckled to himself now, thinking of the gleeful look on Tony's face when the younger man figured Hanson would be the one riding back with the foul-stenched suspect, only to be told by Gibbs that since he and Ziva lost the guy in the first place, _they_ could be the ones to escort him back to NCIS. A smile had never disappeared so quickly before! And on top of it, Gibbs would _swear_ that the dog was smirking as Tony griped about the smell as he lead the suspect away.

Yeah, Hanson and her partner pulled their own weight on the team. Hanson was proving herself to be an asset. She'd scored above-average on the gun range, and was more than fair hand-to-hand. She was light on her feet and a quick thinker. Gibbs thought about a recent case where that quick thinking had come in handy. They'd been called to a scene in downtown DC, bank robbery, naval shipmen inside, not to mention women and children. The team had taken positions around the bank, to be waiting when the suspect tried to make his get-away. Hanson was at the car, ready to go if they needed to give chase that way. Nobody had thought about the bank roof. Hearing on the comm-link that the suspect was making a break for it, Hanson had kept an eye out. A few minutes later, she'd seen movement up on the roof - the suspect, and he was running for the edge to make the hop across to the next building and away. Hanson had given the alert over the comm, but knew no one could get up top fast enough, so she did her own thing.

_Opening the back door as she got out, April let Roo out. He knew something was about to happen, she could see him quivering in anticipation. She went to the trunk and pulled out some supplies, kneeling to put the special vest on the dog. Clicking on his leash and putting on her sunglasses, the pair ran along the wall of the building, keeping the suspect in view. She alerted the team when he'd made the hop to the next building and gave them her location. As usual, she ignored Agent Gibbs' order to stay out of it. Watching the suspect, April saw where he hopped to another roof and made his way down the fire escape. Relaying this information to the rest of the team, April and Roo went to work, the suspect thinking he was blending in with the tourists._

_Folded up map in one hand, Roo's leash in the other, April walked confidently toward the suspect, softly giving Roo a command. "Stoten."* The big dog "accidentally" bumped into the suspect, a couple of times, like he was trying to get out of the way whichever way the suspect tried to move._

"_Oh! I'm so sorry!" April apologized to the suspect. Trying to be casual, the man said it was ok and tried to be on his way. "Um, I don't mean to bother you, but I was wondering if you could help me? I….kind of got turned around, and this map isn't much help when I don't know where I am. My dog and I are lost." The guy looked down at the dog and saw the vest that declared it a working dog. A blind chick. The guy thought quickly. Everyone was looking for a single guy on the run. Not a guy leading a blind lady around town. A fast look around told him no one was following him yet, so he took the opportunity. "Sure, miss. How can I help?"_

_With feigned relief, April asked where she was in relation to one of the monuments, and the man told her. "Wow, we really got off-course, huh Roo?" she said lightly. "Could you tell me how to get to Michigan Ave? I can find my way from there."_

"_Sure. First you want to go 3 blocks west, turn right, go another 4 or 5 blocks to the traffic lights…." Seeing her having trouble trying to keep up with the directions, he said, "if you don't mind walking with a stranger, I'll take you there."_

_April smiled big. "Oh thank you! That'd be great! As we walk, could you tell me what streets we're crossing, so I can get the map of it in my head?" As they started to walk, she continued, "another few days, and I'll have most of DC mapped out in my brain. I don't know how Roo and I got so turned around." The man chuckled. "It's easy to do around here! The street system was designed by the founding fathers, who had no idea what things would look like 200 years later!"_

_As they walked, the man courteously gave street names and landmarks, allowing Gibbs and the team to know exactly where they were so they could follow. As they neared the last corner before their destination, April saw the black charger pull up across the street. As they waited for the light to change so they could cross, April thanked the man profusely for helping her and Roo get back on track. The man told her he was doing his good deed for the day, and she should pay it forward, do something nice for someone else sometime. "Oh, I will, " she assured him as they crossed the street, where Tony, Gibbs, Ziva, and Timmy stood, looking like they were waiting for something. "Hey April," Tony said. "Oh, here's my friends. Thanks again for your help." The man brushed the thanks off. "Just being a good citizen."_

_Gibbs came forward and grabbed the guy by the arm and spun him around. "Too bad you didn't think of doing that before you robbed the bank," he growled as he snapped the cuffs on the suspect's wrists, pushing him at Tony and Ziva to take away. He'd saved the lecture for the ride in the elevator back at NCIS turning it off and giving her his usual, gruff, 'you work for me, not the other way around,' speech. He turned the elevator back on, and a second later said, "good job." April was awestruck - until she got the Gibbs' Slap to the back of the head. A sure sign she was becoming one of the team._

Gibbs sighed, mind coming back to the present. Yeah, she was fitting in, work-wise. But with the rest of the team? Not so much. Oh, she and Tony got along pretty well. That is to say, Hanson tolerated him. But it seemed that Tony was the only one offering out a hand in friendship. Ziva, while co-operating professionally, was still cool to her in the office. And McGee….Gibbs wondered about McGee. He was usually the _only _one nice to the "new guy," but with Hanson, he barely even looked at her, never mind being cordial. He was professional - he'd never not have her back in the field, Gibbs knew that. But Gibbs was hard-pressed to remember a single conversation between McGee and Hanson. He'd have to have a talk with McGee alone, find out what was wrong.

Watching Hanson work, Gibbs' thoughts wandered to her panic attacks. To his knowledge, she'd had only two more since the one he'd walked in on. He'd meant what he'd said that day - if it happened in the field, she'd be gone. But they only seemed to occur after cases. Gibbs likened it to an adrenaline crash. He'd have to read more of her file, find out what happened to cause them, and have a talk with Ducky about them, make sure the attacks weren't medically significant.

Gibbs ran a tired hand through his hair, grimacing when his eyes fell on the new case file in front of him. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ziva could handle what was entailed. That was probably what everyone would assume, that Ziva and Tony would have point on this. But there had been something in Hanson's file that made him wonder if he could put _her_ on point with Tony instead. Maybe the rest of the team would start to trust her more if they saw that Gibbs himself trusted her. Before he could talk himself out of it, he stood and started for the elevator. "Hanson! My office!" He didn't look to see if she was following, just held the door for her when it opened. Seconds after it began to move, Gibbs shut down the elevator and handed Hanson the case file. "Think you can handle that?"

He watched as April read the outline, but her eyes gave nothing away. She looked up when she was done and handed him back the folder. "Sure," she answered calmly. "Paid my way through college doing that." As she expected, Gibbs nodded that he knew. "I'm going to need some time, though. Been a while."

"You've got ten days," Gibbs said in his usual, brisk manner. When Hanson expressed her shock, he talked over her. "Half-days here, the rest of the day off to rehearse, get back into the 'swing' of things," he said with a smirk as Hanson rolled her eyes at his pun. "Already cleared it with Vance. If you want it, you're running point with DiNozzo." Before she could object to his choice of partner, he spoke again. "He's the only one that could pull this role off. He may be a pain in the ass, but he's damned good undercover." He watched her think, knew when she was in. "Good. Vance is giving you access to the private gym if you want to work there. You need anything, you come to me. We need you well inside in ten days. You can work with Abby on a cover, get I.D.'s, background story, financial info…anything you'll need. But you gotta' be ready in ten days."

April smiled confidently, pushing down her desire to jump up and down for joy at Gibbs giving her this chance. "Not a problem, Gibbs. It's like riding a bike - you never forget how to do it." Gibbs smirked and restarted the elevator, doling out her orders for the rest of the day.

An hour later, the mild bickering he heard alerted Gibbs that Tony and Ziva were back. He waited as they gave him the sparse information they'd gotten from their dead PFC's friends and family. Apparently, the man was well-liked by everyone, even his shipmates and CO's. And according to McGee's information, his background was clean but for a few speeding tickets, and financially he was doing o.k., with only some minor credit card debt. After gruffly ordering his team to dig deeper, he brought up the new case, handing case files to everyone. He didn't bat an eye as Hanson slammed a desk drawer shut, called her dog to follow, and left for the day. Gibbs noticed his team watching in silent disbelief, and again wondered if he was doing the right thing, but…too late to change course now. He gave Tony, Ziva, and McGee a few minutes to get into the file before asking for thoughts and ideas. Tony was totally into it, everyone knowing automatically that he'd be playing the suave, millionaire playboy. He was making naughty inferences to what was of _course_ going to be Ziva's role, the sexy woman. Gibbs stopped that train of thought dead. "It's not Ziva."

Three pair of eyes stared at him in shock. "What?" Tony gasped, having been looking forward to seeing Ziva in that costume.

"What do you mean, not me?" Ziva asked, mildly offended. After all, she _was _the only female on the team….surely Gibbs wasn't thinking of putting Abby…. "It is always me. I am trained for things like this, I…" Gibbs interrupted her.

"There's someone with a little more training in this area than you, Ziver," he said softly, knowing that she felt like he was saying she wasn't good enough.

Tony scoffed. "More training? Someone at NCIS is actually trained at this?"

Gibbs watched their faces as he spoke. "It's not someone from NCIS," he strongly hinted. They began complaining immediately about how lousy the FBI was at stuff like this, how Agent Saks wasn't near pretty enough for DiNozzo to work with. "Ey!" Having finally gotten their attention once again, he hinted again, "it's not the FBI…." Seeing their confusion - well, if it's not the FBI, who else _is _there? - he looked over to Hansons's desk. One by one, he saw their faces when they realized where he was looking, and they all began talking over one another at him, wondering how he could do such a thing, putting Hanson in over Ziva, what a bad idea it was. He'd had enough. " 'EY!" Waiting furiously until they went silent, he now understood why Hanson had such a chip on her shoulder, and he owed himself a good head slap for leading the pack. His eyes burned into each of them, one at a time, stopping on Tony last, as he was the one who would be her partner, her primary back-up. "Hanson is more than qualified for this op. If any of you have a problem with that, I'm sure Vance can find you a TDA position until this mission is over." He waited, let that information sink in, the look of shock and hurt on their faces not lost to him. "Any questions? ….. Ok….we've got ten days til this goes down. McGee, backgrounds, financials, any information you can get us on the people listed in the file. Ziver, I want you to get the blueprints and work out a safety plan. DiNozzo…"

"Have Abby build my cover from the ground up," Tony responded, heading for the elevator, with a sad shrug of his shoulders for Ziva as he walked past. Gibbs headed for the other elevator, and once inside, smacked himself on the back of the head for being such a bad leader to his team.

_**^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^**_

_NCIS - the Gold-Key, private gym_

_Same afternoon_

Panting heavily, April dropped to the floor for a rest. Pointing a quivering hand toward her gym bag, she asked Roo to bring her a bottle of water, which he did with great finesse. "Thanks, buddy," she breathed out, taking a good, long swig before capping the bottle again. She groaned as she went to stretch her legs out - everything hurt. Damn! She worked out regularly to keep fit, but this was using an entirely different set of muscles. She dropped her head to her knees. How would she ever be ready for the mission, if she was in this much pain now? With a sigh, she took one more gulp of water and stood, walking painfully to the DVD player to start the music again. Turning to the mirror, she began the routine again. Agent Gibbs was trusting her with this op, she told herself, working with renewed energy through the pain. He'd asked _her_…she wasn't going to let him down now, when he was finally beginning to accept her. She ignored the pain and pushed on, determined not to fail the team.

_**^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^K-9^^^^**_

_**A/N-**_** Oooooo! Wonder what it is that April is going to have to do? Heh, heh, heh! You'll just have to wait and see! Wonder if it's what you're thinking…Real April, since you already know, NO HINTS! I don't care if Michael Weatherly himself asks! NO HINTS! Well….ok, maybe for Michael….as long as you give him my email and tell him to inbox me…..that's the ONLY way!**

**So, please ^^^^REVIEW^^^^! Let me know if it was worth all that Writer's Block I suffered! Pretty please? Thanks!**

_**TRANSLATIONS:**_

_**Stoten-**_** Dutch, meaning bump or bump into (April asks Roo to bump into the suspect while pretending to be blind). Pronounced 'S-toe-ten'**

**REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW!**

_**PLEASE!**_

_**THANK YOU!**_


End file.
